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"1 person's perception is another person's reality" - Roland Martin

You have to be living under a rock if you hadn't heard about the present controversy involving Black Harvard professor and published Author Henry Louis Gates and a Cambridge police officer. If you haven't heard let me give you a brief synopsis as reported in the media:

Gates, on a return trip from China, upon approaching his house in a prestigous Cambridge residential area, realized he had misplaced his keys. So he and a colleague attempted to enter the house via "breaking in". A female neighbor witnessed the "break in" and contacted police, identifying 2 African American males with backpacks.

This is where the story starts to get interesting. The media reports that Mr Gates, after telling the officer that he was in his own home, was then asked to provide proof of residence. He then showed the cop his Driver's License as well as his Harvard ID, however, he was still arrested under charges of disorderly conduct, handcuffed (originally behind his back even though he is handicapped and uses a cain for walking) and taken to jail, where the charges have since been dropped.

In recent days, there has been back and forth bickering in regards to the situation. Gates demanded an apology. The officer basically said Hell No. Then when President Obama responded to the story, and replied with a justified summary of the history of police and minorities, claiming that the Cambridge police acted 'stupidly', he is now being attacked for disrespecting law enforcement and voicing a truth that i'm sure, even as a bi-racial black man, has ALSO been familiar to him at some point in his life.

Here's the problem. Once again, white America is showing how out of touch they as a society actually are. You know, what? Let me correct myself. Because white america isn't out of touch. They're just STILL in DENIAL. In 2009, white america still believes that they are innocent of all the injustices history has proven time and time again and that they bear no responsibility for the consequences of such actions. In 2009, white america believes that a Black president, while SIMPLY not knowing the specific circumstances of the event that took place, can't possibly know or understand what "Skip" Gates has just experienced. BULLSHIT!

Racial profiling is NOTHING new. Police all over our country have been getting away with it for decades. ALL THEY HAVE EVER BEEN IS GANGSTERS WITH BADGES & TOO MUCH AUTHORITY. Some have even been caught in the act only to be quickly forgiven and brushed under the table as if nothing ever happened, as if there was never a second side to the story involving an actual victim. And now they want an apology for calling THEM out? For what?! For doing the same shyt they been doing? Where are OUR apologIES?

But racial profiling doesn't just happen in law enforcement. Just yesterday on the news I was appalled to hear commentary on CNN from Lou Dobbs in particular, regarding a request that President Obama prove he is an American citizen by providing his birth certificate! I mean, seriously, the nerve of these people! Who the hell do they think they are to even consider asking something so ignorant with a straight face?! Since when does a president have to "prove he isn't illegal"? And although CNN/TVONE political analyst Roland Martin came to the defense of the president and the other side of the argument, the fact that these people can even turn their lips up to ask such a thing and see nothing wrong with it shows the Pathology of America that still exists, as does RACIAL PROFILING.

I thought long and hard about writing this blog. Mainly because when I state my views about black and white relations in 2009, I am often called a radical or a racist. In my opinion, I consider myself as a realist. Someone who actually knows and understands the racial politics of America and acknowledges that those issues do in fact still exist. And I thank God that I do, because those who don't will be forever lost. I cannot live my life in a haze. And you can not live in America as an African America without KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING that no matter how sugar-coated racism appears in today's society, it does and will forever exist in ALL we do.

The Census shows that Caucasians in America will be a minority by 2050. If true, I pray to God that i'm not only around to witness that happen, but that i'm also around to witness the effects it has on them as a people. It seems that many live in this fairy tale land. And then, when the reality of it smacks them in the mouth, they don't like the taste. Like Roland Martin quoted on CNN, "One person's perception is another person's reality." It seems that they cannot grasp this concept. This is our reality.

Maybe one day, they will understand. Maybe one day they will actually TRY to understand instead of pointing the finger, re-directing responsibility for their own wrongs. But until then, we must continue to fight the good fight and not allow them or their authorities to continue to express not only their disdain FOR us, but also that our opinions, our experiences and our truths don't matter. That they are and always will be protected by the law, and we can do and say nothing about it.

Yes, I do believe Henry Gates, a black Harvard professor was racially profiled. I mean, why else would he still have been taken to jail upon providing proof of residency? The cop claimed it was because Gates was being belligerent. Gates denies that. Me, as an African American (female) who myself has also had slight run-ins with police, can say i'm sure all of Gates' professionalism flew out the window during this altercation. HOWEVER, that is NO grounds for arrest. And my opinion about MY presidents comment? Dead on!

I thought the reason we voted for Obama was because he was a people's president. He had the ability to SEEM to relate to us. How else could he have brought such a divided nation together for a moment in time? We ALL loved his truth and his understanding. Now though, when its a truth some wouldn't like to hear, there's a problem. SMH...come on people. Its still a truth nonetheless. So while i'm not surprised about the uproar concerning his comments, I hope and pray that he doesnt issue an apology or retract his statement.

Obama is stating things that we need to hear, not what we want to hear like so many other presidents in the past have done. I thought that was why we voted for him. Hopefully, this situation will continue to cause as much of an uproar as minority issues have in the past and become a tool in bridging minority and police relations. Because with a Black Commander in Chief (i love the sound of that), we as a country should be embarrassed of ourselves.

p.s. I DONT HATE WHITE PEOPLE LOL

A GOOD FOLLOW-UP ARTICLE BY ACTOR JEFFREY WRIGHT: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/24/wright.police.gates/index.html

I KNOW WHAT KILLED MICHAEL JACKSON AND IT WASN'T DRUGS!

Over the last two weeks, I promised myself and the spirit of MJ that out of the respect for his death, I would not disrespect him or his legacy by speaking out or accusing him and those around him like the media has been doing since his passing. However, I do now, have my own theory and would like to take a different approach....As a superstar, celebrities understand that with fame comes a lot of obstacles. With fame, there is no longer privacy. With fame, there is no longer trust. With fame, big fame, international fame like MJ had, there is lonliness. Some accept this as just coming with the territory, some bask in the glory, and others want no part of it. But, I'm always positive, that no human being in their right mind, could ever expect to grow to the heights of fame MJ grew to and live to tell about it. I mean what human being do you know that would come out of that situation "normal"?

For example, put yourself in Mike's shoes. Imagine if you will, having to live in complete seclusion because you have the most famous face in the WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD. This means all of the leisure activies we as normal people enjoy like going to the mall or the movies, or the gym, the grocery store or even simply walking down the street would all be taken away. You'd become a prisoner in your own home. Can you imagine? Now add to that the pressure of having to please this world, not to mention all the leeches or "friends" surrounding you. And of course we still haven't factored in the troubled past that left physical, psychological and mental

impressions on you throughout your life. And the media?! Ha! We'll get to that later, but Can you imagine?

When an audience first responds to a budding star, it is usually out of pure admiration. But that admiration in recent years, have since given way to obsession and it's sick! These last two weeks following Michael Jackson's death has showed me a lot about my country and the direction we're headed. America's pathological behavior has been portrayed across the globe for years since the birth of the television, and now the internet. But it wasn't up until now that I really felt the pressure of it all. Our culture is obssessed with celebrity, with fame, with

hollywood, with the glitz n the glamour and of course, with the money. But this obssession is tearing lives apart; Lives, who in any other circumstances would otherwise be normal....probably.

The problem I guess, is the fact that once a celebrity, you are thought of and PORTRAYED as something more than human. The more success you have, and the larger your fame grows, the more inhumane you, the celebrity, are perceived (because of this PORTRAYAL) and we, the audience become. In Michael Jackson's case, somewhere along the line, the world forgot he was human. The world forgot that he had a beating heart, and blood running through his veins that WOULD one day actually come to an end. I think that may be why his death has been and will remain since June 25th, a shocker. But who's fault was it?

Us as fans bear some of the responsibility. It was us as fans, that never allowed Michael to live close to a normal life...EVER. It was us, in all of our selfishness, that demanded constant touring, constant recording, and constant contact somehow with our beloved Michael, be it thru video, or tabloid mag. Now of course Michael could have said no, but he was a true entertainer, he loved what he did, and he loved to please those who loved him back. A constant theme in Michael's life that continues to pop up is LOVE. All Michael wanted all his life was to be Loved, and we, Loved him to DEATH.

Now, because Michael was a PR GENIUS, he has always been very misunderstood also making him a godsend for the entertainment industry. He outsmarted the media many times over, but it was ultimately the media who got the last laugh, and turned him and his "creations" into a circus act. The media attacked, bullied and butchered that man with no retribution. In my opinion, it was also the media that killed MICHAEL JACKSON.

Not surprisingly, the media is now portraying Michael Jackson as a drug addict who basically died from a drug overdose like MANY other BIG stars in American history (Coincidence?). They report him as having collapsed veins and track marks on his arms. They have minimized the GREATEST ENTERTAINER OF ALL TIME, to a damn Junkie :(

If Michael was using drugs, it is understandable to use them for pain. He was a performer, an athelete with many injuries over the years. Thus probably building a tolerance and an unfortunate but unintentional addiction. Now, if Michael was using drugs to cope with the life he was PERMITTED (I say 'permitted' for a reason), that was understandable as well. Because people know drugs are used as an escape or coping mechanism. And because Michael was never in control, has never been in control, and has basically been a PRISONER of fame all his life, drugs may have been his only escape. Remember, Michael was only HUMAN. But those are big "Ifs", and we don't know what happened. And that's what we must remember.

I say all of that to say this. As the audience, we have a lot of power. As long as we keep ourselves in check, and not feed into the gossip websites, gossip mags, and stay true to our celebrities as artists and as people, we can change things, and keep what happend to MJ from happening again. I mean, if you look at the current state of entertainment, preferably tv, it is run by reality shows. These shows take common people, and thrust them into the limelight, unprepared for all possible outcomes. How are they supposed to deal with that? It used to be that you had to have a talent to become a celebrity. Now, you just have to have 8 babies, want to lose weight or want to find love to be a celebrity, and us an audience still flock to these shows and these people, as if they are ACTUAL celebrities. In doing so, we continue to VICIOUSLY invade their lives, and Michael's end was evidence that there are very real repercussions. It needs to stop!

We should be embarrassed. We don't have to support this craziness. By not supporting, we are demanding what we want, and what we expect from not only our country, but our media outlets as well. Maybe they're should be some kind of legislation for the rights of privacy that the media would have to obey. (TAKE NOTE: There is no ACTUAL right of privacy in the US constitution) Because if we don't get it together and get it together soon, who knows who the next fallen victim will be? And I tell you what, if Michael Jackson can die at 50yrs old, I'm afraid to see who the next fallen victim will be, because seeing his tragic life end the way it did, i'm sure many wouldn't even want his fame nor would they wish his fame on their worst enemy....

BET MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE DISAPPOINTS!

Quite frankly, if you saw the award show lastnight with your own eyes, you saw exactly what happened. However, Im angry at myself for expecting anything different. I've been boycotting BET for a while now. Since the Debra Lee takeover, BET has been a platform for the exploitation of black culture, with 106th & Park being its saving grace. And even that hasn't been the same since the ousting of Free & AJ. So filling the void, I've been tuning into TVONE lately (as it might be quite clear now, we ALL may need to make that move). The BET awards lastnight just reminded me why.

I'm actually upset with myself, that I allowed BET's PR machine to pull me into all the anticipation of a "supposed" tribute to the King of Pop. But BET failed miserably! Between the live airing of curse words, inappropriate performances (shoutout to Young Money), breathlessly random speeches (Don Cornelius), false advertising and a host of other problems with the show, BET tragically missed the mark. The only bright side of the show were the performances, although some were still a little questionable.

For example, New Edition broke my heart. I mean, WTF WAS THAT?! The singing was god-awful, Mics were too low, and I thought Bobby was gonna collapse LOL. The only good about their performance was the precision of their dance moves, somethin New Edition has always shined in. But shouldnt there been more dancing tribute to mike? I mean, where was USHER, CHRIS BROWN, OMARION, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE? And Personally, if BET wasn't gonna let DAY26 perform on the show, they could have at least let them replace New Edition. Day26 would have ripped it! Even 5 of today's top R&B solo male acts could have been J5 for a night, and that would have been better than what we saw (Usher, Ginuwine, Neyo, etc.).

In addition, I'm sure BET intended for Tevin Campbell to be their SHOCKING awards show surprise, something they go for every year. And maybe Tevin even decided this could be a great platform to stage a possible comeback (I've heard he's been in the studio) but I mean, Tevin Campbell?! Where did they even find him?! However, I, for one was very excited! Tevin played a HUGE role in my love for music during my early childhood. And I must say, the grown Tevin Campbell looked and sounded excellent! It was great to see him shine again. However! If you're going to bring Tevin Campbell back, after years in obscurity, during a Michael Jackson tribute show, wouldnt it make more sense to have Tevin do a MJ song rather than an OJay's song?? Especially with the Quincy Jones link and all? *sighs*

What I saw lastnite was simply SAD. I mean, seriously, WHY DIDNT GINUWINE PERFORM? WHY WASNT THERE A STRING OF ARTISTS SINGING A MEDLEY OF HIS SONGS? WHERE WAS THE ACTUAL MJ TRIBUTE? WHERE WAS THE COMMENTARY RETROSPECTIVE? A couple of shoutouts or references to MJ throughout the show was not my idea of a tribute. Dressing up like Mike or wearing MJ tees, is not my idea of a tribute. People been doin that for years. WHERE WERE HIS CELEBRITY FRIENDS? WHY DIDNT THE OJAY'S SHARE MORE PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ABOUT MJ? WHY DIDNT CHRIS TUCKER SHOW N SPEAK (STILL HAVENT HEARD ANYTHING FROM HIM REGARDING HIS FRIENDS DEATH)...And we're not even gonna discuss Jamie Foxx as the host...hillarious for the most part, but constantly promoting your concert during what was supposed to be MJ's moment was the last straw for me.

BET, yall seriously need 2 step your game up. You have become an embarrassment for what is supposed to be an outlet for Black expression. As Jamie said, Michael Jackson belonged to us! And it was only right that we celebrate his life the CORRECT way. That's what I THOUGHT I was going to see. I have no idea what you thought you were doing with that show lastnight, but you have failed at the biggest opportunity in the history of your network, to not only push BET to a level of prestige, but in showing the World how to send the BEST ENTERTAINER TO EVER BE BORN, A BLACK MAN to his eternal home. And it's sad that it had to happen on such a public stage :( If we couldn't have done it correctly, it shouldn't have been done at all.

PEOPLE, if I were you, I'd seriously switch to TVONE, and make sure to look forward to the VMA's where I'm sure (its sad but true) that MTV, the network that at first refused to play black faces will send him home in style.

You know what...I actually read anotha article on this very topic that I want to pass along to you. Because he said everything I want to say and more:

http://hiphopandpolitics.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/bet-missed-the-mark-last-night-w-their-michael-tribute/

THE DAY THE MUSIC STOPPED...

LONG LIVE THE KING

It is with deep regret that I am writing these words. As a matter of fact, my mind feels like it’s in some foggy tunnel searching for light; a light that symbolizes the resurrection of the Genius that was Michael Jackson….I apologize if this blog comes across as scrambled as my mind is. It's usually moments like this that I am speechless, and this time is no different, however, I felt it would be disrespectful if I DIDN'T pay my respects the only way I know how - through my writing.

They say deaths come in 3. The Old, The Sick, and the Unexpected. Well I can say within this past week, all 3 have come to past. Ed McMahon, the Old. Farrah Fawcet, the Sick…but who would have ever thought that Mike would be, The Unexpected?? It’s a funny thing about Life…..we live knowing that we all have to die sometime. But it is deaths like this that feel like an assault on the human race.

It is unfortunate that the only Michael Jackson performance I ever got to witness was via tv screen or cd/album. But while pregnant with me, my mom attended the Jackson reunion tour. She always reminds me that while there, I kicked the hell out of her belly as if I was trying to mimic Jackson’s own moves. That was obviously a precursor to the connection I and many others have always felt toward Mike. I can recall as a child, crying hysterically and reaching for the tv set every time a simple MJ video went off, or a performance was finished and he left the stage. I can remember singing my own rendition of “Billie Jean”: “Billie Jeanest not my lover…” lol…or singing “Man in the Mirror” at the top of my lungs. I remember watching “Moonwalker” in amazement, and screaming every time he did the Moonwalk. Whatever Mike did, I was their in spirit, both as a child and as an adult. Some of my best childhood memories involve Mike as if he was a friend of the family, and now he is just suddenly gone. With no hint or sign that sumthin this sudden, tragic and unexpected was about to go down. We definitely were not ready for this.

Michael Jackson was, is and always will be a legend. His success and achievements go unparallel to the careers of those that have come before and after him. His talents, in my opinion, are incomparable and have always surpassed the idiocracy of the insensitive media coverage that plagued his existence. He is the “King of Pop”, or as Trey Songz said and rightfully so, the “King of Music".” His contributions to the music world as a whole have transcended boundaries crossing generations, culture (becoming not only the 1st successful African American mainstream artist, but becoming the 1st African American to get video play on MTV, which has since changed MTV forever). Additionally, his influence has crossed musical boundaries unmatched and unheard of since. He literally, changed music. I often joke around and say, Video didn’t kill the radio star, Michael Jackson did, and you can see his influence in all genres across the board, particularly in hip-hop & r&b with the likes of Usher, R.Kelly, Trey Songz, Chris Brown, Ne-yo, Beyonce, and the list can go on.

There will never, EVER EVER be another Michael Jackson. He as well as his music was timeless and will live on forever. For 40years, we have watched him grow from a boy to a man. And my hope is that in death, although we should have done it a long time ago, we can give him the respect he so well deserved. There is no tribute anyone can do to even remotely come close to praising the influence Mike had on all our lives. He was an artist, a dancer, a singer, a songwriter, a humanitarian and most of all, he was a Man. An imperfect human being with flaws like all the rest of us. I will forever love and admire the man for his efforts, his talents, and the ability to withstand all of the media scrutiny for as long as he was able to. And now I pray that his soul is finally at Peace. We are truly blessed to have been able to witness such GREATness.

We Love you Mike forever and Always

REST IN PEACE

Aug 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009

"Gone Too Soon" - Michael Jackson

Like a comet

Blazing 'cross the evening sky

Gone too soon

Like a rainbow

Fading in the twinkling of an eye

Gone too soon

Shiny and sparkly

And splendidly bright

Here one day

Gone one night

Like the loss of sunlight

On a cloudy afternoon

Gone too soon

Like a castle

Built upon a sandy beach

Gone too soon

Like a perfect flower

That is just beyond your reach

Gone too soon

Born to amuse

To inspire to delight

Here one day

Gone one night

Like a sunset

Dying with the rising of the moon

Gone too soon

Gone too soon

A FOOTBALL REALITY - "4th & Long" on Spike TV

WATCH

"4TH & LONG W/MICHAEL IRVING"

MONDAY NIGHTS ON SPIKE TV!

Featuring
Steve "Speedy" Gonzalez

To the Graduating Class of 2009, Johnny Calls!

It's being called "The Season's Best Commencement Speech", and who would have expected such a strong message and delivery from an R&B star?

Well, since it's John Legend, I'm not surprised. Some of us may remember when Johnny wrote to the NY times in a POWERFUL rebuttal after they printed a racially controversial cartoon comparing Obama and his stimulus package to a monkey being shot down by "politicians". Now, he is challenging the American creed, and rightfully so.

It was today that John Legend delivered such a speech at his alma mater, The University of Pennsylvania, and as a recent college graduate myself, I must admit, i'm a little jealous I wasn't there to hear it. He has already been featured on CNN's Larry King live because of it, and has stirred conversation amongst those affected by his words, both online, on tv, and on video. What did he speak about? He spoke about truth and the lack there of in our country. He also spoke of the war, of the stuggling economy, and the fact that not only do we deserve the truth, but we should pursue it.

Now of course it goes deeper than anything I can explain, so you should just go watch it or read it for yourself. But I will say this...I hope sometime after his music career, he starts a writing career, because the man is fierce! All my writers kno exactly what i'm talking about.

So thanks again John for speaking up and speaking out. For being brave and mature enough to understand that as a public figure it is your responsibility to speak for the voiceless. Keep it up man...much respect :)

For more info on the speech, or to watch the video or read the transcript, visit:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/19/john-legend-commencement_n_205007.html